The 8 hour work day is a social construct, which is rare throughout human history and unique to certain times and places. Japan has essentially never had it. France doesn't have it today. It survives more due to social inertia than anything else.
I've been kicking around a blog post on this for a while. (I am really not a fan of the "work day", for any value of 8-hours.)
I've been kicking around a blog post on this for a while. (I am really not a fan of the "work day", for any value of 8-hours.)